Vitamin D is manufactured in our body, with the help of sunlight absorbed through our skin. It’s something that’s not usually sufficiently obtained from foods we eat, as there are very few foods that contain vitamin D naturally.
If our lifestyle is one that’s mostly spent indoors, whether at home, in an office building or in school or child care centres for our kids, we are definitely not soaking up enough sunlight for our bodies to produce the amount of vitamin D we ideally need.
Why is Vitamin D Important?
It’s an important component as it’s part of a nutrient that helps our body system absorb calcium from the foods we eat. Calcium combined with vitamin D will help to build strong and healthy bones. This helps children to protect against rickets.
Vitamin D also plays a vital part in heart health as well as fighting infections. Also, a lack of vitamin D in our blood can result in higher chances of diseases.
Deficiency in vitamin D may put our body at higher risk of suffering from serious diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack. It can also lead to a higher risk of being obese, suffer from depression, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions and more.
Is it Possible to Get Vitamin D From Food?
Only some natural foods contain some vitamin D, namely, fatty fish (such as mackerel, sardine, salmon and herring), fish oils, egg yolks, and red meat.
Some processed foods that may contain added vitamin D include milk, yogurt, baby formula, juices, and cereals.
So how can you tell if those foods have been added with vitamin D? Look out for the term “fortified” as the process of adding vitamin D to foods is called fortifying.
If you’re thinking of boosting your child with vitamin D by choosing these fortified foods, do bear in mind that it is only helpful but not necessarily sufficient. The best way is still to soak on the sunlight and let our body produce it naturally.
One other way of increasing vitamin D is through dietary supplements. Some multivitamins are added with vitamin D. Check the labels or ask the pharmacist if you’re unsure. On labels, vitamin D is also sometimes named as D3.
How Much Vitamin D do We Need?
- Babies below one year old need 8.5 to 10 micrograms or 400 IU (short for International Unit) of vitamin D a day
- Kids above one year old need 10 micrograms or 600 IU to 1,000 IU of vitamin D a day. This amount also applies to adults
- Kids who have certain medical conditions (for example, obesity, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, multiple fractures, or bone pain) might need higher dose of vitamin D
- Children who are on certain medication like anti-seizure medicines may also need higher dose, due to the medicine effect that block the way the body uses vitamin D
Source: KidsHealth.org and NHS UK
Note of Caution
Vitamin D is important to our general good health, and more often than not, most of us lack it since we stay indoors more than being outdoors. And when we do step out, some of us may slather on sunscreen to protect against the high UV radiation. Using sunscreen will reduce our body’s natural production of vitamin D.
In making up for our lack of this vitamin source, we also need to exercise caution and not to over consume as it can be harmful. When consuming supplements of vitamin D, follow the right dosage to avoid having too much of calcium build-up. This condition can weaken the bones instead of strengthening them, and may cause damage in the kidneys and heart too.
Let’s Soak Up The Sun…
Morning sun is the best and healthiest for our body. On mornings that we can go outside for some outdoor fun while soaking up the sun, it’s not only good for our health but also gives us a chance for quality family bonding time.
Being out is especially good for those of us who lead sedentary lives, especially with the on-going pandemic. The outdoor scene can really brighten us up with good doses of sunshine and fresh air.